Spring structure



june 14, QBZ. E. D, MCNALLY LBBS SPRING STRUCTURE l im f June 14, 1932.E. D. MGNALLY SPRING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented June 14, 1932 FFI @E EDWARD l). MCNALLY, OF JACKSONMICHIGAN,ASSIGIN'OR TO REYNOLDS SPRING COM- l PANY, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN SPRINGSTRUCTURE This invention relates to spring structures. Spring structuresused particularly for automobile seats are frequently covered on topv 10puncture the skirt or facing of the upholstery covering. In other words,the top of spring structures for seating purposes are sometimes coveredwith a wire fabric and the edges of the wire fabric at the ends of thestructure, and sometimes at the front and rear are turned downwardlyover the edge of the up`l per frame and permitted to depend an inch ortwo from the upper frame, hanging freely, along the sides of the springstructure. The leather or other covering for the structure consists of apadded seat portion and depending skirt or side facings, and the latterVhide or conceal the -rough depending` free edge portions of the wirefabric, but as the said free edges of the sheet of wire fabric areirregular and incident to the cutting of the sheet cause sharp cuttingwire projections, the wires work or cut through the upholstery skirts orfacings, mutilating and damaging the same, causing undue wear andresulting in an unsightly appearance after short use of the upholsteredstructure.

Itis therefore an object of the invention to overcome the defects statedand to provide an upholstered spring structure of the nature statedwherein the sheet of wire fabric is employed, but to obviate theoverhanging objectionable hanging edges of the wire mesh fabric and toso position the edges of the sheet of wire fabric and to secure them ina manner to obviate the possibility of such edges of the sheet materialcoming at any time into contact with the skirt or side facings of theupholstered structure.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forthin the claims hereto appended, it being understood that Various changesin thelform, proportion, and minor details of construction, within thescope of the claims, may be resorted to Without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. .iIn the drawings f Figure l is a top plan view, the central part of thestructure being broken away. y Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional Viewonthe line 2 2 of Fig. l. l

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional Jview on the line 3-*3 of Fig. l. i

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thereference character 2 indicates a top frame preferably4 of wire, butwhich may be of any other suitable material o'r form and mounted inany'suitable manner between the top frame and a base frame arehour-glass or other types of springs 3 which are connected together attheir upper ends and the border springs being connected at their upperconvolutions to the upper frame by means of suitable clips 4L. The endsof the upper frame 2 extend beyond the end rows of springs 3 andaccordingly the conventional deformed wire 2a extends transverselyacross the top frame adjacent each end of the structure, as shown, thesaidv deformed wire 2a being connected to the respective rows of endsprings by means of clips2b in the usual manner. The spring structure,thus far described7 needs not a detail description because theparticular type of spring structure is not herein claimed as myinvention Vonly in so far as concerns the manner in which ,prevent undueinjury to the upholstery covering as will now be explained.

It is the custom in this art, in the building of certain springstructures, to place a sheet of wire mesh or fabric wire over the .topof` the structure for the support of upholstery material.; lThis is thetype of spring structure to which the present invention relates and thecharacter 5 indicates a sheet of fabric wire. As shown, this sheet-ofmaterial has not been cut along the longitudinal `edges ofi the same,but along transverse lines thereof, in order to obtain the desired sizeof the sheet for the spring structure. A wire 6 is passed through thelongitudinal edge loops of the sheet of fabric wire and this wire is ofa length substantially the length of the seat structure, and it isclamped at intervals to the upper frame by means of suitable clips 7,whereby to secure the front edge of the sheet of fabric Wire evenly tothe front edge of the upper frame without the formation of snaggingprojections.

The other longitudinal edge of the sheet material 5 is connected to therear edge of the upper frame in the same manner, that is, by means ofsuitable clips 8 which embrace the wire 9. These wires 6 and 9 mayvhaveone end deflected laterally as shown at 10` and 11, respectively, ifdesired, and the lateral ends of these wires project into loops of thefabric material to prevent any possibility of a sliding movement of thewires although this would be prevented by a tight clamping action of theaforesaid clips 7 and 8. Y

The ends of the sheet of fabric material are Jfolded downwardly andunder backwardly upon the body of the sheet of wire fabric,

L as indicated at 12, with the folded portion 12 clamped to the body ofthe sheet material 5 to maintain the fold 12 under the sheet and toprevent it from, at any time, hanging loosely or freely downalongside'of the cor- -responding border'springs. To this end, I

employ a U-shaped -resilient member at each end of the structure, thesame being formed alike and each indicated by the reference character 13and each being composed preferably of wire and of a length substantiallythe Width of the spring structure. Each U- shaped member 13 liesadjacent the respective end of the upper frame with one leg 14 disposedon top of the sheet of wire fabric and the other leg 15 disposed underthe underside of the folded portion 121 of the sheet of material vand atintervals, these legs 14 and 15 of the U-shaped clamping member 13 beingbrought toward each other and bound at spaced points by means ofsuitable clips 16 so as to eectively maintain the folded end portions 12of the sheet material against the body of the sheet material 5 andprevent hanging of the folded portions 12 and to thereby maintain therough edges of the cut ends of the sheet inwardly of the springstructure and away from the skirt or facing portion 17 of the coveringand overcoming the objectionable characteristics in structures of thischaracter as hereinbefore outlined.

The binding together ofthe legs of the U- shaped members against thebody and folded portions of the sheet of fabric material in the mannerstated effectively connects the sheet of material to the ends of thestructure in addition to performing the functions hereinbefore stated.

What is claimed is:

1.l In a spring structure comprising a foundation of coil springs, and atop frame connected to the upper coils of the border springs and havinga side portion projecting beyond the foundation, a wire fabric cX-tending over the foundation and frame and connected at its edges to therespective sides of the frame, and having the edge portion adjacent theprojecting portion of the top frame folded therearound and against theunder side of the fabric, a U-shaped member embracing the folded portionof the fabric projecting beyond the foundation, and fastening elementspassing through the folded portion of the fabric and engaging the partsof the U member in contact with the said fabric. y

2. In a spring structure comprising a foundation of coil springs, a topframe projecting at opposite ends beyond said foundation, a wire fabricof a width corresponding to the Width of the foundation and top frameand having end portions folded around the projecting ends of the topframe, Wires engaging the side loops of the Wire fabric and connected atintervals to the top frame, U members embracing the folded end portionsof the fabric, and fastening elements passing through the foldedportions of the fabric and engaging parts of the U members in contactwith said fabric.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. y

ED'WARD D. MGNALLY.

